


When Birds and Spirits Dance

by OneEyedGinko



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other, Taang - Freeform, yuetara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneEyedGinko/pseuds/OneEyedGinko
Summary: Alternative Universe. Sozin's War never happens. In this world Aang is an air nomad born in the times of the rest of the gaang. Due to the peace Aang is never revealed to be the avatar prematurely at 12. In fact, he lives life as a normal air nomad until his 19th year when the temple decides to reveal the avatar to the world.Toph, Zuko ,Suki and Katara & Sokka all have lived without meeting all these years. Now, the air nomads call on an Avatar Rising Ceremony, where they will reveal who amongst them will be the next Avatar to representatives of all nations. Aang being a carefree ceremonial dancer in the temple doesn't anticipate how his life will change. Neither do all the Gaang when they finally come together in this version of events, especially not a certain earth bending prodigy with a double identity and a runaway dream.
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	When Birds and Spirits Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Based on canon age differences at this time of events the Gaang's ages are the following  
> Aang & Toph are 19  
> Katara and Azula and Tylee are 21  
> Sokka and Suki and Mai are 22  
> Zuko is 23 
> 
> This fic is Taang centric but some other ships may pop up on the side who knows hmmm

From All Across the World, The Nations Convene at the foot of the Patola Mountain Range, of which atop lies the Southern Air Temple. The Air Nomads have called upon the world to declare the air nomad to be the next avatar, thus introducing the avatar to the leaders and ushering in a new era.  
.  
.  
.

“I can’t believe we have to wait for them. We could’ve gotten there first!”  
Katara rolled her eyes at her brother’s continuing rant. “it’s to show unity” She mumbled as she wrapped the furs closer to her, gazing at the horizon as if staring hard enough would make the northern water tribe ships appear sooner.  
Sokka scoffed “HA! Unity! Give me a break. The northern water tribe’s idea of unity is to send us declarations of what they think we all should do, nonnegotiable.”  
Katara nodded absent mindedly.  
“COME TO THINK OF IT, of course you don’t mind you’re basically the northern water tribe of this family! IM OLDER, just like how the southern water tribe is the birth place of our common ancestors, and yet you feel the need to tell ME what to do.”  
Katara finally turned to look at her brother “Sokka, seriously, I don’t understand why you’re so annoyed by them, when even Dad who has to deal with them politically ALL THE TIME as Chief, doesn’t complain as much.”  
As Sokka was opening his mouth to reply a horn sounded from his left and Katara turned sharply to see the northern tribe ships appear on the horizon.  
“FINALLY!!” Katara shrugged off her extra coats and started adjusting her hair.  
Sokka rolled his eyes “I know dad made you the official Southern Tribe Spokesperson, but save it for the Avatar’s Rising where people we ACTUALLY care to impress will be.”  
Katara shook her head, not removing her gaze from the approaching ships “You don’t understand, Chief Arnook and the elders will choose only ONE representative for both of our tribes. They have their own representative aboard that ship.”  
Sokka raised his eyebrows and looked back at his sister, a determined look now on her face. He knew that tone and that look, Katara wants to be the voice of their tribe, always has. She’s been teaching combat to the younger water benders with the help of Hama, her mentor and the village’s most seasoned warrior and healer. Despite her defending the northern water tribe Sokka knew she had a lot she wanted to change there ever since Gran told her of how their customs prompted her to leave. 

Sokka smiled to himself, those northerners don’t know what’s coming to them now that his sister is on their case.  
.  
.  
.  
“MY SISTER IS THERE ALREADY??”  
The servant looked a little startled by the fire prince’s tone “uhhh yes yes she is, my prince , since the morning actually.”  
Zuko let out a groan. “Is mother there too?”  
“not yet my prince, she attends to the matters of state before she sees us off.”  
Zuko shook his head thinking how unrelenting Azula was in trying to embarrass him. She was already on their ship ready to depart to the southern air temple when the trip wasn’t till the evening! He was the crown prince and is supposed to show such care and yet here he was, so lost in his sword practice he didn’t start packing to begin with.  
He gave a deep sigh and dismissed the servant.  
When he really thought about it, Zuko didn’t care to show face with formalities like Azula did. All he wanted to do is finish his work behind the scenes and make his mother proud. For all their life Zuko and Azula lived without a father, late-Fire Lord Ozai died only shortly after Azula was born. Their mother was made Fire Lady Mother, a position not often used in the history of fire nation royalty, yet since it was favored amongst the people and Uncle Iroh abdicated, it seemed the only choice till Zuko was ready. Zuko himself wasn’t sure when that day would come. He found that till this day he and Azula compete for their mother’s attention. As they had to share her with the whole nation growing up, no matter how loving she was, they always wished for more time.  
Time. . .  
“SHIT” Zuko stood up abruptly and stormed to his chambers to get ready.  
………………………..  
A few hours later, on the departing ship stood Azula looking at the receding port of Caldera Capitol. “Are you gonna miss it?”  
Zuko thought the question was slightly mocking, she meant if he would miss their mother but for some reason was referring to the capitol instead. He could see his mother slowly recede into a red dot on the port, surrounded by flanks of guards wearing black.  
“You’ll miss it more.” With that he walked away and into his chamber bellow deck.  
.  
.  
.  
Toph wouldn’t miss the estate at all.  
She stood very still as the bustle around her continued, contemplating the depth of her dis-miss. Her mother along with the servants were currently running around like headless chickens, packing for their trip. Her mother with her quite gentle voice ordered them to and fro while they shifted from room to room collecting items. It was her dad who made the most the noise, croaking in anxious notes here and there, shouting over from far away rooms to inform them they missed something.

Ever since the news came from the earth king the house has been restless, but this is ridiculous. The Earth king had been so thrilled for the invitation to the Southern Air Temple that he seems to think it’s a vacation. He invited all his ministers and all the secondary rulership of the Kingdom. And while Umashu had a King, Gaoling only had the Beifongs. They didn’t per say rule anything, but they did play the biggest part in governing, trading and distribution. And King Kuei just is a Yes man isn’t he. He with apparently no hesitation invited them along as part of his entourage. Toph wondered if he was trying some kind of show of power, by bringing a group representing just how expansive and diverse the Earth Kingdom was…

Toph’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her mother calling her to her room.  
She went over there and immediately knew the drill.  
She sat facing her mother’s mirror as her mother brushed her hair. Toph kept her head straight ahead toward the mirror, not daring to move an inch, as long as she can remember she mastered this art. She recalls practicing this by pretending she was a doll. She knew mirrors repeated images, and she wondered if right now her mother was looking at mirror toph, and if so she wondered what exactly she saw. How much is she fooling her right this second, and how much is she giving away. She always suspected her mother knew about her nightly escapades to the arena. Her mother’s hand would linger on her coarse hands, like she wanted to say something. But then she’d add a little extra lotion on them instead and say nothing. Toph suspected her mother had her trailed at some point and found out, but she can’t make out her reaction or lack thereof and what it means. 

Once more Toph’s thoughts were interrupted by her mother’s voice “ -and pack your thick socks darling, its cold out there, I got you winter boots for the trip.”  
With that she stood up and left. Toph for some reason reached out and touched the mirror.  
“I won’t miss you either.”  
.  
.  
.  
Aang was looking at his reflection in the pool of water Infront of him.  
“This is ridiculous.” He said as he washed his face and smoothed out his eyebrows.  
“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous, Appa” He looked at his best friend skybison who by now was sleeping soundly. He smiled fondly and went to pet the beast.  
“All these people are coming, from everywhere, and the masters won’t tell us who the avatar is!” He flopped down near the bison and leaned his back on his warm fur.  
“I’m already so nervous, we have to be generous and gracious hosts to all these people, but not knowing such an important thing is so distracting!” He hugged his knees into his chest. “I’ve been having funny dreams, in one I dreamt it was Jun.” He cracked a smile at that. “For his sake lets sure hope not, poor fella has been the most anxious, I think he’d faint In front of everyone, or worse! Try to run away!” He stood up with that thought suddenly feeling lighter.  
“I should go help them set up the guest camps down there.” He looked past the cliff as if he could see the bottom and the camps, but he couldn’t because of all the fog.  
“You sleep buddy, I feel like having my feet on the ground today, Ill hike downhill.”

.  
.  
. 

The Arrival 

Toph couldn’t stop smiling.  
Her and her family had finally arrived at the welcoming port. She had immediately taken off her shoes keeping only her socks on so she can look around more properly. And what she saw gave her pause. The peaks surrounding them were on a scale she had never sensed before, it made a thrill of excitement go through her, more than anything she wanted to run off and try scaling different peaks. It took all her years of training to hold back and stand still. But her face’s stoic mask had fallen to a grin she usually kept for the arena. She kept her head lowered and tried to school her face as she tested the limits of her senses seeing how far up and across her vision could go.  
Air nomads came to welcome her family and lead them to their assigned tents in the Earth King’s area. Her mother told her they’d have to settle in then later that night meet and have dinner with the Earth King and the rest of their kingdom’s party. Toph nodded along at every instruction but her mind was racing with ideas of her planned escape.  
.  
.  
The Beifong Tent – The Earth King Quarter  
It was still high noon when her parents settled into their sleeping mats to rest after the long trip. Toph waited till their breathing grew steady then slowly crawled out of her mat.  
She went to one of the tents near them where she could sense the servants of the earth king bustling and asked for a uniform. They seemed a little confused but obliged in favor to getting back to their work. She went into an empty armoire tent since no one would be going in there unless there was some sort of danger to the king and quickly changed into the practical pant robes. They were also warmer which she appreciated and she hoped, also dull in color, but knowing the earth king and hearing of the court’s extravagance she wouldn’t put it behind her he made them as flashy as they say he is. But this was no concern to her, as long as a bunch of the servants had this on no one would care or notice.

She began hiking up the foot of the mountain, at first she kept her boots on but later took them off so she can more smoothly get around. She just took them off and left them at a rock that she took mental note of. Toph let her mind wander at the vastness of the place as she trudged forward, the musky smell of the trees that grew there as well as the sounds enveloped her in a sense of wonder, “freedom” they seemed to sing. Everything there was free, the trees grew in haphazard angles and tangled in ways unfashionable to the people of Gaoling. The birds still mildly annoyed her, because with anything flying toph had the sense that it was disappearing and appearing. Birds to her were more like the spirits of stories, they were oh so light, almost unperceivable. They danced in her peripheral senses, on branches, on ledges, high above, rarely on the ground. And when they took off again it felt like they disappeared into another world up high she could never know. The fact they sometimes spooked her when appearing and the way she felt they mocked her caged life made her usually a little spiffed by them. But here it was different. Here she somehow felt equal to them, as the altitude grew she felt closer to them, like she was finally joining them, visiting their realm. She started running uphill in excitement, the adrenaline of the vastness fueling her, the climb was also getting steeper, the edges sharper, anyone would slow down out of fear of falling but toph was in her element, she had full trust of her feet and was freely flowing on the rugged terrain. The wind was wiping around her as she ran upwards full force, she felt her nose, cheeks and ears burn with the cold. Her lungs slightly burning too, with every huff of cold air she took in. Toph couldn’t feel any of it though, too absorbed in a child like giddiness she didn’t feel in ages. She was openly laughing now, and tears stung her eyes. At once memories of the four walls and the silence came to her, how dreadful they were, how could she withstand it, when all this was possible? So entrenched in that thought she was that she noticed too late there was something approaching down towards her in the narrow pass, it seemed to appear and disappear to her. Her eyes grew wide, A GIANT BIRD????!!  
She abruptly stopped but it was too late. To her right was a long drop, to her left the solid mountain front. A million earth bending solutions ran in her mind in that second, make an alcove, make a ledge, expand the passage, but she was too late. Once she turned the corner, the creature slammed into her and she was sent flying over the edge full speed.  
.  
.  
A few minutes earlier –  
Aang was strolling down the mountain when he heard faint giggling. He stood there frozen with horror for a second. It was almost exactly what he experienced in one of his recent odd dreams. Just like in his dream he was somewhere lush and green, when he heard a girl laughing. He lost the sound for a bit. Aang rubbed his head in confusion “I’m either losing it or I’m having prophetic dreams…” He shook his head “Ha! Better go congratulate Jun for being the avatar I guess.” He started walking again when he heard the laughter again this time closer. He peered over the edge to see a figure in deep green running across the edge of the mountain with inhumane sureness and speed, long black hair wiping in the wind. His eyes grew wide, “a mountain spirit??”  
He quickly ran down towards where the figure would be heading to, no thought in mind but to get a closer look. He opened his glider to help him half float half skid down faster. To his left a long drop, to his right the mountain front. He turned a corner only to be slammed with a mess of green and black and toppled over the edge.  
…………………………………

“OOF”  
Toph managed to reach out to the earth before she made contact and pulverized it into fine sand in her panic. Mumbling curses under her breath she fumbled to stand up “Fuck! This’ll bruise”  
After a little inspection she extended her senses out to locate the thing she bumped into.  
“Huh, where’d it go” She all of a sudden heard a horn from the direction of the camp. “Shit!”  
She wasn’t sure what the horn meant but she knew it would most definitely wake her parents.  
And with that thought she sprinted back down the mountain, bending slopes to get her there faster.  
. . .  
Aang was falling and for the first time in a long while his heart wrenched in fear at that.  
The collision had been so abrupt that he for a second was truly disoriented, freefalling with no thought. But instinct and muscle memory pulled through and the fact that his glider was already open behind him helped, his muscles flexed instinctively pulling him up and soon he was gliding away safely. After a moment of relief he realized with horror that he wasn’t the only one careening to the edge. He quickly turned and went back to where the spirit thing would’ve fallen. A million thoughts ran through his head “Was that really a spirit? But I bumped into it.. some spirits can become tangible.. but then it would be ok right? ….. what happens if a mountain spirit curses you…. “ He was still circling above the area where he fell but couldn’t get a proper view due to the jagged rock formation. He decided to land and walk around but even then found nothing. He let out a sigh of relief, “mustve transported into the spirit realm” He looked around “…Sorryyy? Look ill make it up to you somehow. Wait maybe I shouldn’t say that, the spirits can be literal.. how about I consult my elders THEN make it up to you?” Aang stood for a good five minutes conversing to the hypothetical spirits while somewhere within the bushes actual mountain spirits were giggling at him.  
“Silly avatar”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first fic to actually get out there and im hyped to post it to completion.  
> Let me know your feedback and fav bits if you can that'd be awesome


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